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Business Profile

TV Stations

ESPN, Inc.

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for ESPN, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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ESPN, Inc. has 3 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 196 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 58 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

    Sort by

    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/18/2024

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I signed up with ESPN Bet app and deposited $20 because their promotion was that if you fund a new account and lose what you deposit within 24 hours, you get it back-insurance. It was clearly advertised. And now I’m being given the runaround when I just want the $20 that was promised from the start.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/16/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I cancelled my ESPN subscription in February of this year. An e-mail from ESPN confirmed this, dated 2/27/24. I have uploaded a copy of this message. However, for 4 months ESPN + have continued charging my credit card $11.65 per month. When I called customer service and confronted them with the cancellation e-mail they said that "due to company policy" they could only refund one month. I have initiated a dispute with my credit card company, but they say they must wait 15 days before looking into this. I find this practice of ESPN+ to be dishonest.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/25/2024

      Dear Better Business Bureau, 

      We have reached out to the fan directly to help resolve this issue. 

      Thanks again for reaching out.

       

      Sincerely, 

      Stephen M*******

      ESPN Fan Support 

      Customer Answer

      Date: 07/25/2024



      Better Business Bureau:



      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.




      Sincerely,



      ***** ****

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/15/2024

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      ESPN+ continually falsely advertises that subscribers can watch all matches of a tournament. Towards the end of said tournament it will only show the matches on ESPN and not allow access to watch them on ESPN+.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/18/2024

      Dear Better Business Bureau, 

      We will be reaching out to the customer directly to help resolve this issue. Thanks again for reaching out. 

       

      Sincerely, 

      Stephen M*******

      ESPN Fan Support 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/08/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I was seeking to activate an account for ESPN.

      Chose monthly option ($10.99) and read through details. I did see that no refunds would be given. What I did not see was a notice that you would need to view through your TV provider and you should confirm that your TV provider subscription supports ESPN.

      I moved forward with the account activation, only then did I get directed to choose my TV provider. I went through that process to then find out that I would need to pay to upgrade my subscription in order to view ESPN.

      The result: I am paying for a month for a service that I have not, and cannot use.

      This equates to a scam. Despite it only being $10.99 (I have cancelled) it is about this company not managing their business properly, and this should not be at the consumers expense.

      I am sure I am not the only person this has happened to.

      This should be a reputable company, but they have a responsibility to be clear about the requirement to access their service - prior to the confirmation process.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/23/2024

      Fan has been contacted.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 07/31/2024

      Wasn't aware this had a time limit, and perhaps I missed the initial message notifying me of this.

      I did hear from ESPN.  Fine conversation, but they couldn't help me directly - which I found frustrating.  They referred me to ****** and gave me a phone number.  I have called the number multiple times.  There is a message confirming that it is ******, but no ability to leave a message and it just cuts you off.  

      ESPN said they could not send a note to ****** regarding a refund, but just "let them know" and they would take care of the refund

       

      Ok - I have tried numerous times with no luck.

      Frankly it is ridiculous to have to jump through multiple hoops.  The company will retain the money, because it feels the process is intentionally cumbersome and most people would just give up.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/31/2024

      Fan has purposed through ****** and must request a refund through them. 

      Customer Answer

      Date: 07/31/2024



      Complaint: ********



      I am rejecting this response because:

      ESPN is the business that I was working with, regardless of how the payments are provided.  My complaint is with ESPN as pertinent information wasn't provided in order for me to make an informed decision.  

      While I understand that ****** was the vehicle for payment, the information provided to me by the ESPN contact is not providing me with the access needed to request the refund from ******.  So this may be an issue with ******, but ESPN is responsible for supplying accurate contact information.  Since they provided me with the initial contact number - that is not working to date, then a secondary means of contact should be provided.  ESPN's payment process should then become the burden of the consumer.  So, when and if am able to reach ******, will they have any information from ESPN specific to the transaction, or will I need to explain the entire situation in hopes that they will issue a refund??

      Bottom line - ESPN is the responsible party for providing accurate and/or alternative contact points if the are not able to request the refund directly to ******.




      Sincerely,



      ******* ********

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/08/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      We subscribed for ESPN+ specifically to watch ******, specifically the ********** ****. With the most-recent ********* programming, ESPN+ does not allow certain matches (those at center court and court one) to be broadcast on ESPN+; to watch those matches, you need a separate ESPN subscription for ESPN3 via a television cable provider. In this way, ESPN is taking the same content--****** tournaments--and splitting them across multiple subscription services. They have also negotiated so that no other subscriber in the US can provide access to the same content, short of having a third-party subscription that runs through ESPN, so again, there are no other options to watch ******, other than through ESPN, which has split the content across multiple subscriptions to watch the full content.

      IMO, this is arguably anticompetitive behavior. ESPN has negotiated to be the sole providers of content and are artificially inflating the price of that content by splitting it across multiple distribution channels (i.e., requiring ESPN+ and a separate third-party subscription that gives you access to ESPN).

      Moreover, ESPN allows you to submit feedback online, but when you go to submit a complaint, that website is actually disabled. Hitting "submit" leads to a 404 error, which reveals that ESPN has set up a superficial complaint service that it does not actually maintain or respond to. This seems like an unfair business practice.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/08/2024

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      This is regarding the ****** **** bundle including ****, *******, and Espn+. The former services work as advertised when the subscription is purchased. The ESPN+ account however has a lnown issue for > or = 2 years where it recognizes the email that is linked to the bundle but does not recognize an attached subscription. This does not occur on the browser; however, on streaming platforms that require the app (smart Tv, phone, etc) it seems to be a recurrent problem for several people where asks the user to subscribe and will accept a separate monthly free (resulting in double charges for the same service). This is again with a single account that already demonstrates an active subscription on the browser. The ability for the app to accept additional charges seems somewhat deliberate/concerning particularly with the duration of the issue. While on the phone with support, they informed me that this is a “newish” issue that is known and that they are working on which felt even more deceptive.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/05/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On July 5, 2025 I had an awful experience with ESPN app. I signed up for ONE month to watch *********. Then found I’d been charged for a YEAR! I downloaded app on my **** TV. Logged in and was still asked to ACTIVATE & tell them my TV provider. It’s an APP! I downloaded because I don’t HAVE a TV provider. I was unable to view on my TV. Called for help who was unable to help me & then found I’d been charged for a YEAR! I have cancelled and am awaiting a refund. But ESPN you need to DO BETTER! I should not have to ACTIVATE anything after I log in with a fully paid login. And not everyone has a TV provider. Catch up with how we live now. And quit swindling people for a year’s fee when they sign up for one month!

      Business Response

      Date: 07/08/2024

      Fan has been contacted for resolution.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 07/08/2024



      Complaint: ********



      I am rejecting this response because:

      I am NOT a “fan.” Please don’t refer to me as one!

      YOU need to make it CLEAR you cannot watch ********* on your app without a TV provider. I would never have even tried this if I had known this 

      Sincerely,



      ****** ******

      Business Response

      Date: 07/08/2024

      The customer has been contacted. 

      Customer Answer

      Date: 07/09/2024



      Better Business Bureau:



      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.




      Sincerely,



      ****** ******

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/03/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I’ve had a subscription that I pay for every for ESPN + and I continue to have technical issues with the app itself I keep getting an error message when I try to play a lot of things on the app specially ufc past events and pre loaded shows. I’ve reached out to technical support several times and they haven’t been able to help me so I’d like a refund for the inconvenience

      Business Response

      Date: 07/03/2024

      Unable to contact fan for resolution. Please contact ###-###-#### for support. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/01/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On June 13th and June 19th I deposited money into my ESPN bet account. They're refusing to refund my money and release it to me claiming I don't have the proper documentation. They require absolutely no documentation to take the money but have made it impossible for me to get it released to me. They are now threatening to ban all communication with me and keep my money. This is a bad business practice and they are operating in bad faith, and trying to scam customers out of money.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/01/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      ESPN Bet emailed me several times regarding an offer for new users for a no sweat bet up to $1000. In other words if your bet lost they would credit it back in bonus bets. I took them up on the offer after several emails. I placed bet and my bet lost, which I knew there was that risk, but did so knowing ESPN would give it back in bonus bets. I thought ESPN was reputable, did not expect them to close my account and refuse to honor the promotion the emailed me about. I contacted them and they refuse to refund me my money or at very least let me use bonus bets. I have the emails of offers, and emails where I actually received bonus bets. When I logged in to use bonus bets, it said my account had been closed. I also have chat transcripts where they basically say they cant do anything, that thy are keeping my money and not honoring promotion.

    ESPN, Inc. is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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